Question

"The distribution of urban population has a wide variation throughout India." Evaluate the statement with suitable examples.

Hint:

Urban population in India is concentrated in economically advanced and industrialised states, while rural regions dominate in less developed areas.

Answer 1

The distribution of urban population in India is highly uneven and shows significant regional variation due to geographical, historical, economic, and infrastructural factors.
High Urbanisation in Western and Southern States: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Karnataka have higher urban populations due to early industrialisation, trade centres, and IT hubs. Cities like Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru are examples.
Low Urbanisation in Northern and Eastern States: States like Bihar, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh have lower urbanisation levels due to agrarian economies, poor infrastructure, and low industrial development.
Union Territories with High Urban Share: Some UTs like Delhi (urban population over 97%) and Chandigarh are highly urbanised due to being administrative and service hubs.
Disparity within States: Even within a state, urban population is concentrated in specific cities while the rest of the region remains rural. Hence, urban population distribution in India is not uniform and varies significantly across regions.